Pilonidal cyst open wound healing process

Many patients suffering from pilonidal sinus or cyst often wonder about the necessity of surgeries in getting the illness healed. Although homeopathic treatments are often chosen, people who are susceptible to the problem prefer surgeries, as it helps the cyst not to come back in the future. However, some of these patients experience a slow healing incision wound, which can be very frustrating, regarding the common location of pilonidal cyst to occur—the top of the bottom crease.

Slow-healing incision will inhibit the patients from sitting down and thus, putting all the weight on the crease—and the open wound, driving, and some other physical activities. Unfortunately, it is very common for post-operative pilonidal cyst open wound to heal slowly, although the healing stages are basically similar to some other typical open wounds.

Pilonidal cyst open wound healing stages

As other open wounds would, surgical incision of pilonidal cyst will elapse some stages before fully heals. Knowing what happens from one stage to some others are essential for the patients, so that they can self-observe the proper healing process and will be able to determine the possibility of infection, so that its effects can be minimized. Commonly, when no infection occurs, pilonidal cyst open wounds heal through these stages:

Bleeding stage

This is the very first stage of any open wound healings, including the wound from a surgical incision. Bleeding is a natural way done by the body in cleansing the wound site, getting rid of any possible bacteria in the wound site. Post-operative pilonidal cyst incision is going to bleed in some initial days after surgery. The bleed produced by the wound might improve eventually—the thick blood in the initial healing process, which ends in exudate—the fluid by-product of wound healing. As pilonidal cyst incision is usually deep—when the surgery is done to get the cyst completely out—it is important to drain existing blood by placing sterile gauze on the open wound. Moist wound dressing is commonly used with pilonidal cyst open wound rather than stitches, since the wound tends to excrete excessive fluid.

Swelling stage

When the bleeding and fluid-draining stage stops, scabs will form around the open wound. When this happens, the body will react by making the wound site swollen and tender. However, in a pilonidal cyst open wound, it might take quite a long time before the healing process reaches this stage. Generally, instead of swollen wound site, a white bump inside the wound is observed. Many patients concern about this. However, this is a normal phase of the entire wound healing, in fact. What to do is soaking the wound site using saline solution to get it cleaned thoroughly. Putting pressure to this white bump and the entire open wound with saline solution will be helpful in improving the condition. As long as the wound site does not have a foul odor, you are all right to go.

Tissue regrowth

If the wound is not interrupted by re-bleeding and infection, the nest stage of pilonidal cyst open wound would be the tissue regrowth. During this stage, new skin cells are formed, replacing the wounded and damaged ones. Blood vessels are also replaced and eventually a new layer of skin will be formed. However, many patient experience the merely tissue growth rather than the entire new skin layer growth. If this happens, the wound needs to be observe, as it is possible that the center part of the wound is not healed completely yet, making it prone to re-opening and thus, bacterial infection. If granulation occurs instead of a new skin layer, medications are often given to help with the healing process.

Scar formation

The final stage of wound healing would be the scar formation. In pilonidal cyst incision, a long period of healing time is required before reaching this final stage, since the open wound is often interrupted by heavy activities, such as sitting and driving, causing slower healing. However, a cyst incision which is not affected by infection will reach this stage, so that scar is formed as a result of the growth of granulation tissues, which are slightly different from the original.

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